Picky 7 year old!

Healthyby30

As far as your doctor telling you not to worry about it. Did you tell your doctor all he eats his junk? My doctor told me not to worry about my son being picky as long as he is eating nutritious. I'm sure if I told him all he'd eat was spam, hotdogs and candy there'd be an issue.

Yes his Dr knows what he eats. She was also my pediatrician and has known my family for 27 years. He gets his multi vitamin every day as well. And my son is the type of kid that eats few times a day (maybe 2x) because he is not hungry, then when he is going through a growth spurt he can't seem to eat enough.
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I would just like to point out that I was asking for tips on adding healthier foods to his existing diet. I was not asking to get bashed for the foods he already eats. I eat the same stuff as him, in small portions, and still manage to lose weight. I can not stand 80% of the health food crap out there. It tastes horrible to me. So yeah my son eats the same stuff as me, but I am more open to certain things. There is a difference between giving me pointers and bashing my already made choices.

So you're saying health food is crap and what you eat is perfectly fine? Of course if you eat less of anything you're going to lose weight. Why does "health food" have to taste like crap? Sounds to me like he's following in his mother's foot steps. Do you want your child to be where you're at today? Children do what they're parents do and what they're taught. It starts with YOU. Why don't you open your mind up to trying to new things? Prepare things differently, there's so many fresh, healthy, delicious food. It's no wonder he won't eat anything but junk.

NeuroticVirgo

I use the hunger method with my boys... they eat what I cook or they go hungry. MAYBE if they do not finish dinner I will let them have a piece of fruit or a low fat yogurt... but normally they have to finish most of their dinner for that treat.

*like* We use a similar method in my house. Including when friends come over (my daughters BFF is extrememly picky, I think the only thing she likes is cheese)...its amazing what kids will eat too when they know they won't get away with being picky.

kateroot

Few of you are helpful, but the majority of you seem to think that asking for tips means judge my choices. I will feed him what he likes regardless, but I asked for tips to ADD healthier foods, not replace with. Thank you, but no thank you.

Why would anyone want to feed their kid garbage? I'm not judging, but I'm curious. We ate junk food as kids maybe once a month as a "treat." We didn't expect spaghetti-o's every day. Junk food is not supposed to be part of your everyday diet, especially as a growing child. Processed junk on a regular basis is just setting a kid up for an unhealthy future.

I was raised on "garbage" so to me it was fine. I just over ate it growing up. I dont let my son over eat it.

There's a lot of information out there on nutrition and what a regular diet of processed foods can do to a child, or any person for that matter.. And I'm not just talking about obesity. I suggest you do some research. Again I'm really not judging, I understand that it's what you grew up with, and what millions of people have grown up with.. but that doesn't mean you can't change it to help your child live healthier.

kateroot

Few of you are helpful, but the majority of you seem to think that asking for tips means judge my choices. I will feed him what he likes regardless, but I asked for tips to ADD healthier foods, not replace with. Thank you, but no thank you.

You asked for help. If you don't want it then don't ask.
A childs unhealthy diet will make them an unhealthy adult. You decide.

Exactly, I asked for help (tips, Ideas, Pointers). I did not ask to be told that I am making horrible choices and setting my child up for failure. HUGE difference. Thanks.

This is a nutrition forum. If you say you're feeding your kid junk food all the time, people will have something to say about it. No one's insulting you, but people ARE trying to get you to see that it's your responsibility to teach your child about proper nutrition.

Mmmary212

No one's trying to be mean, just trying to express that a picky child is picky because of the parent. You can cut those foods out cold turkey and he'll be JUST FINE...

My "picky" 4 year old would live on hot dog buns, biscuits, spoonfulls of brown sugar, chocolate bars, etc if that's all I let her eat because that's all she *thinks* she wants.

But I say no and so she pretty much lives on fish, dairy, oatmeal, peanut butter and the vegetables she is willing to eat, which is few and far, but it's better than the above.. She wont eat fruit and I'm totally fine with that. She will eventually. She gets sugary foods as a treat. This is a change in her diet recently...I haven't always been strict with her (and the others) because of poor choice *I* was making and allowing.

Try taking everything out of the house, or eat it up and buy other stuff next time....and try it. Maybe he'll surprise you. Healthy doesn't mean=unflavorful and boring. There has to be stuff he likes, let him help shop and prepare.

cramernh

Few of you are helpful, but the majority of you seem to think that asking for tips means judge my choices. I will feed him what he likes regardless, but I asked for tips to ADD healthier foods, not replace with. Thank you, but no thank you.

Unfortunately you volunteered the information on the types of foods you allow your son to eat and of course other people will comment on that. And - they are correct in their actions and replies.....

Many have posted the same response: You are in charge, not the child. You have allowed him to eat like that and admitted to having the same food as well - of course your son will eat that because you are eating it - he sees you eat that and thinks its ok.... The adult is supposed to be in charge, and unfortunately your son is the one who is in charge of what he will eat because he has developed an unhealthy pickyness about food because that is what he learned by the adult in charge.. that person being you..


I have not seen anyone get rude or brutal here with you.... quite a few posts show people were trying to 'understand' why... and yes, they were genuinely shocked reading what you volunteered to post...

MANY people have offered suggestions for ADDING much better choices for food here, not a few. Youre definitely not being attacked here at all - in fact, there is ALOT of support in this thread that you are failing to acknowledge.

But, the worst offense of non-acknowledgement is your failure to realize your son has bad eating habits because the only person he learned it from, was you. And those foods, again, you admitted to eating as well. Your son has been lead by example....

Yes, a seven-year-old only eating the select list of foods you listed, is not healthy at all, in fact, they arent enough for a growing boy. He does need vegetables every day, fresh fruit doesnt have to be every day but certainly included... I used to work in Pediatrics and no doctor in our team ever accepted this amount or type of junk food. They always reminded the parent of how important it is to encourage healthy eating at a young age because they are impressionable at a young age.


There are tons of very cost-effective frozen vegetables (with no added sugars or junk) where you can get a 1# bag of green-beans, on average betweek .99 - $1.29/lb. You can also get fresh frozen fruit (no added sugars or junk), within the $1.00-$2.00 per bag price. It requires work on your part to find these items... I had food stamps for one year when my daughter was six years old... For a household of three, we had $303.00 per month in food stamps and I was able to make the dollar stretch by going to different places for different food items. Everyone ate a healthy meal every day, and no junk food was ever purchased.... my daughter ate healthy from a very young age and continues to do so as a young adult living on her own.

Take the suggestions given and remember DO NOT back down. Your son CAN sit there and not eat and protest, and give you a hard time all he wants.... you have allowed him to develop a particular eating-behavior... you have a particular eating behavior as well (previously posted)... if you can change your own eating-behavior, you CAN change your son's eating-behavior.... and he needs to remember that 'Mommy is the boss" - and he is not....

I wish you the very best

dls06

Few of you are helpful, but the majority of you seem to think that asking for tips means judge my choices. I will feed him what he likes regardless, but I asked for tips to ADD healthier foods, not replace with. Thank you, but no thank you.

You asked for help. If you don't want it then don't ask.
A childs unhealthy diet will make them an unhealthy adult. You decide.

Exactly, I asked for help (tips, Ideas, Pointers). I did not ask to be told that I am making horrible choices and setting my child up for failure. HUGE difference. Thanks.

Like I said, Only you can decide what you think is right for you and your child.

foremant86

I use the hunger method with my boys... they eat what I cook or they go hungry. MAYBE if they do not finish dinner I will let them have a piece of fruit or a low fat yogurt... but normally they have to finish most of their dinner for that treat.

Same here, with my niece and nephew. They try to pull the " i don't like that" and i tell them i'm not a short order cook so eat what I make or don't eat, i don't care either way and don't come at me later saying you're hungry because the meal you didn't eat before will be waiting for you.

Now my nephew hates ketchup so i'm obviously not going to smother something in ketchup and force him to eat it but I expect him to eat the normal meals I make.

cramernh

I use the hunger method with my boys... they eat what I cook or they go hungry. MAYBE if they do not finish dinner I will let them have a piece of fruit or a low fat yogurt... but normally they have to finish most of their dinner for that treat.

*like* We use a similar method in my house. Including when friends come over (my daughters BFF is extrememly picky, I think the only thing she likes is cheese)...its amazing what kids will eat too when they know they won't get away with being picky.

I was raised by my grandparents and the house rule was this:

"Unless you are sick as a dog, or allergic, you eat the food that is served at our dinner table. If you dont like it, dont eat it, but I wont make anything else"...

I had problems swallowing as a young kid so that meant no peas or vegetables as small as peas (they found out I was allergic to peas). I also cannot eat coconut - the hives are HORRENDOUS! Once the swallowing issues were alleviated, it was easier as I got older... but we had some AWESOME food! My grandfather would go hunting for turkey, deer, pheasant every now and then....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the venison stews my grandfather made... ohhh it was total food porn!!! They always had a big garden growing in their back yard.. we all pitched in to help tend to it... the peppers seemed so big back then! The red peppers were like CANDY to us - so sweet... I remember us daring my Uncle to eat an onion like an apple.... and OH MY GAWD - HE DID!!!! Then we tried it..... not so lucky for us! LOL Our faces were PRICELESS!!! HAHAHAHAH

engineman312

and don't think this will immeadiatly change when the child becomes older. my 15 year old niece was over my place last sunday. i made a delicious cuban dish called ropa vieja. basically shredded skirt steak served with peppers over yellow rice. i asked her "do you like steak? rice? peppers?" the answers were depends on what kind for the steak and rice, and no to the peppers. she had half bite of the yellow rice, and decided she didn't like it, and just looking at the meat and peppers she decided she didn't like it either. i had to make her some hot dogs, which her 6 year old brother was eating. i wasn't going to make the 6 y.o. try the ropa vieja, cuz that definetly would've been pointless, but he's just as bad.

and they get that pickyness from their mother. she is the worst eater i've ever seen. won't eat roast beef, but eats pot roast. at resturants only orders shrimp scampi. i'm surprised that she even tried (and liked) my ropa vieja. she's also liked my beef stew and chili. but the woman is 45. she should be eating different things.

paravision

I am working on eatting smaller portions and adding new foods. I am and always have been a picky eater, but my palate has grown over the years. My son is extremely picky. These are the only foods he will eat: Toast (jelly no butter), grilled cheese, pizza, hot dogs, spaghetti os, pb&j (warmed 10sec only, not cold), Spam, candy, strawberries, buscuits, snack cakes, candy, and peppered turkey. He refuses to try anything new. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can get him to try new foods?

He only eats spaghetti o's? Hot dogs? pizza? SPAM? candy? snack cakes? WTF?

No, this is what he eats because this is what's provided for him. SMH

Shake your head all you want. When you spend 7 years on $200 a month food stamps and 8 of those months homeless that is pretty much all that you can get.

He used to be way more open to different foods. As a baby he loved anything green: spinach lasagna, chicken and broccoli, ect. He used to love steak and pork chops. The older he got the less he was willing to try. I have tried the "you can only eat what I cook foods" and that resulted in him sitting at the table for 3 hours not eatting anything. I am not the type of person to force a child to do anything. Not for 3 hours at least. Don't think that he gets away with what he wants and doesnt have to do anything he is told, that is not true. His Dr has told me not to worry too much about what he eats because right now he is perfectly healthy and not over weight at all. He is 50 inches and only weighs 60 pounds. He is not a big child. He is very active as well. I am just wanting tips on how to get him to add healthier choices to what he already eats. I could care less if he eats hot dogs and pizza, but I would love to get him to try some celery or carrots with some peanut butter or maybe try eatting a small salad with me a few times a week.

Ok I am calling bull****! Um as a single mother of three I have had my fair share of food stamps in my day. Lets take a look at what you are buying. On sale spaghetti Os are about a buck. For 10 bucks you can get a bag of boneless skinless chicken breast. Hmmm. Chicken nugests4-6 bucks a bag. last 3 meals maybe if that? People say its more expensive to eat healthy. I dont think so. Making your own meals is cheaper than buying already made processed food. I would get 660.00 a month in stamps and shop really well I might spend 400 if I splurged on "goodies for the kids". It used to piss me off when I would watch others on stamps buy chips sodas dips tv dinners ALL NAME BRAND. I dont understand why they LET PEOPLE BUY NAMED BRAND WITH STAMPS! If they would make people shop more wisely maybe that money could go more toward electric funds for needy familys. I paid in to the system and when I needed it I didn't feel the least bad but there are people abusing it. I agree with the poster who said your child is eating it because you proved it and using food stamps is an excuse. I dont want to hear how you only have 100.00 or 300.00 or how many you have in your family. I had a 5 person household and have had all those amounts too. When you dont have money you either learn to adjust or you don't. I chose to learn to adjust...

stephyy4632

make one healthy meal for the family if they don`t eat thats fine but no snacks. Eventualy they will eat what is in front of them they will not starve.

Maryee71

I think most people if they're honest had things they did not like at this age. None of us would want to be forced to eat something we don't like. I never made my kids eat anything, but we had a rule that you had to take a bite of everything that was on the table for dinner. If they didn't like it, then they didn't have to eat anymore. I had 5 kids, and they all had different likes and dislikes, but as they got older they pretty ;much ate anything. I think if you make it a big issue, it becomes a big issue. My boys were the hardest. They didn't want onion or tomato pieces in things, so I would blend them up and put them in meat loaf or soups etc. I had a relative who only wanted pb&j and oatmeal for yrs. He's now 6'2, healthy, happy and is a highway patrolman. Don't panic, try the one taste of everything, if they know they don't have to eat a whole serving of something they think they don't like, they don't fighttrying the food as much.
We never had dessert with a meal. Don't make that a reward for eating. Then we'd have bed time snack so they didn't associate sweets with part of the meal.
Like someone else said, try a milkshake type drink and add something nutritious. Who cares if you hide things.
It will all work out, you are aware that it would be better for him to have more nutritious meals and you are trying. Don't let mealtime become a battle. It's not worth it. I'd try to avoid bringing the chips and sweets in the house. They usually will eat flavored yogurts as a treat.
I feel like I've rattled on, my whole thing is try a little at a time and don't beat yourself up. You've talked to your pediatrician, so you are watching his health. Good luck.

paravision

I am working on eatting smaller portions and adding new foods. I am and always have been a picky eater, but my palate has grown over the years. My son is extremely picky. These are the only foods he will eat: Toast (jelly no butter), grilled cheese, pizza, hot dogs, spaghetti os, pb&j (warmed 10sec only, not cold), Spam, candy, strawberries, buscuits, snack cakes, candy, and peppered turkey. He refuses to try anything new. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can get him to try new foods?

He only eats spaghetti o's? Hot dogs? pizza? SPAM? candy? snack cakes? WTF?

No, this is what he eats because this is what's provided for him. SMH

Shake your head all you want. When you spend 7 years on $200 a month food stamps and 8 of those months homeless that is pretty much all that you can get.

He used to be way more open to different foods. As a baby he loved anything green: spinach lasagna, chicken and broccoli, ect. He used to love steak and pork chops. The older he got the less he was willing to try. I have tried the "you can only eat what I cook foods" and that resulted in him sitting at the table for 3 hours not eatting anything. I am not the type of person to force a child to do anything. Not for 3 hours at least. Don't think that he gets away with what he wants and doesnt have to do anything he is told, that is not true. His Dr has told me not to worry too much about what he eats because right now he is perfectly healthy and not over weight at all. He is 50 inches and only weighs 60 pounds. He is not a big child. He is very active as well. I am just wanting tips on how to get him to add healthier choices to what he already eats. I could care less if he eats hot dogs and pizza, but I would love to get him to try some celery or carrots with some peanut butter or maybe try eatting a small salad with me a few times a week.

Ok I am calling bull****! Um as a single mother of three I have had my fair share of food stamps in my day. Lets take a look at what you are buying. On sale spaghetti Os are about a buck. For 10 bucks you can get a bag of boneless skinless chicken breast. Hmmm. Chicken nugests4-6 bucks a bag. last 3 meals maybe if that? People say its more expensive to eat healthy. I dont think so. Making your own meals is cheaper than buying already made processed food. I would get 660.00 a month in stamps and shop really well I might spend 400 if I splurged on "goodies for the kids". It used to piss me off when I would watch others on stamps buy chips sodas dips tv dinners ALL NAME BRAND. I dont understand why they LET PEOPLE BUY NAMED BRAND WITH STAMPS! If they would make people shop more wisely maybe that money could go more toward electric funds for needy familys. I paid in to the system and when I needed it I didn't feel the least bad but there are people abusing it. I agree with the poster who said your child is eating it because you proved it and using food stamps is an excuse. I dont want to hear how you only have 100.00 or 300.00 or how many you have in your family. I had a 5 person household and have had all those amounts too. When you dont have money you either learn to adjust or you don't. I chose to learn to adjust...

Oh and in regard to what the child ate as a baby.... Maybe thats because they dont have pizza, snack cakes and crap like that in baby food jars....

tigerdodo

I too have a very picky son...so my heart goes out to you as I know how hard parents try. They only thing my son will eat is fruit and vegetables and bread...all healthy things but as a result, he is extremely underweight. Which makes him more suseptible to germs...sigh....
The one rule I have in my house is you have to take 2 bites of whatever is on your plate. So he does. And I have started that 1 night a week HE makes supper (with my help, of course). It's his choice and then I have to eat 2 bites of :laugh: what is put on my plate. (Scarry sometimes!!) He thinks it is hilarious!! Good luck!! :laugh:

rbryntes

No one's trying to be mean, just trying to express that a picky child is picky because of the parent.

That is really not true. My brother grew up in a household where we ate at Indian, Ethiopian, Morrocan, Japaenese, REAL Chinese (we lived in Europe) restaurants almost every night, or my parents would host a dinner party every weekend serving glazed duck or moussaka or something equally complex. My brother was still a picky eater. I was not. My cousin gives her kids all kinds of foods. One of her sons is a picky eater. The others are not. It has nothing to do with the parents.

LATeagno

WOW. Maybe some of you should stop judging the OP. Are you all perfect parents? SHEESH!

I was on foodstamps for almost eight months back in 2006. I was a single, unemployed mother who got $186 in foodstamps each month. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and spaghetti with plain marinara were staples in our home during that time. You can buy a cheap loaf of white bread (ick) and a jar of peanut butter and jelly for $5 and get 12 sandwiches out of it. It becomes a problem between buying healthy food and buying filling food. It's not an easy decision, but seriously, sometimes it's what gets you through. Until you've had to choose between a pot of mac and cheese for .65 cents and one tomato for the same cost, STOP JUDGING.

As far as snack cakes go, when you're poor, there is mental turmoil in the fact that you can't buy your kid new clothes, the toys his friends have or a fancy new bike. So you give the kid a Ding Dong instead. It's a bad habit and it's setting the kid up for bad choices in the future, yes-- but being poor is a serious struggle when you see your kid suffering. You'd do anything to see him smile. And sometimes a Ding Dong will make him smile. I'm not saying he should eat a box a day, of course, but at least try to put yourself in her shoes before you judge.

To the OP, try letting him make his own stuff or making a game of it. My daughter is 7 and I notice that one sure thing to get her to try something new is those stupid sample stations at Sam's Club. She gets excited and will try things she'd NEVER try at home. Try making a game of it-- play "sample." Or make a mini "buffet" of healthy things. Make it creative and they'll be more likely to eat healthily. Also, try making the things he already eats healthier. Instead of white bread, switch to a light bread or a whole wheat bread. Buy naturally sweetened preserves (like Polaner All-Fruit) instead of regular jelly.

b00b0084

No one's trying to be mean, just trying to express that a picky child is picky because of the parent.

That is really not true. My brother grew up in a household where we ate at Indian, Ethiopian, Morrocan, Japaenese, REAL Chinese (we lived in Europe) restaurants almost every night, or my parents would host a dinner party every weekend serving glazed duck or moussaka or something equally complex. My brother was still a picky eater. I was not. My cousin gives her kids all kinds of foods. One of her sons is a picky eater. The others are not. It has nothing to do with the parents.

THANK YOU!

Mmmary212

No one's trying to be mean, just trying to express that a picky child is picky because of the parent.

That is really not true. My brother grew up in a household where we ate at Indian, Ethiopian, Morrocan, Japaenese, REAL Chinese (we lived in Europe) restaurants almost every night, or my parents would host a dinner party every weekend serving glazed duck or moussaka or something equally complex. My brother was still a picky eater. I was not. My cousin gives her kids all kinds of foods. One of her sons is a picky eater. The others are not. It has nothing to do with the parents.

Ok, there is no comparison there.....I'd be picky too if it's "weird" food (as a child would see different ethnic foods to be)....but to have a child exposed to processed canned goods and candy and snack cakes and refuse to eat healthy foods IS the parents fault. You're twisting things.

Mmmary212

WOW. Maybe some of you should stop judging the OP. Are you all perfect parents?

Why yes, yes I am. Thanks.